Slack adjuster



J. ROBINSON Feb. 20, 1940.

SLACK ADJUSTER Original Filed June 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 1 r. -J, I A. 1 j ,"w

OOOOOO full I I H wh INVENTOR Joseph Robinson ize ATTORNEY m mh ' Feb. 20, 1940. J, R s 2,190,681

SLACK ADJUSTER Original Filed June 8, 1936 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

INVENTOR BY Jose 0h Rob/n50 am? wdfl w ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED PATENT;

i suck Anws'rnn Joaeph'ltobinson, New Yul-LN. Y.

Application June a, 1936, Serial N... 84,081

Renewed October, 1938 7 Claims.

This invention relates to manually. operated devices for quickly removing undesired slack in the brake mechanism, or brake rigging, ofrailroad cars. It comprises but three essential parts, each novel in construction, simple to manufacture, and so formed and arranged that rust, .snow or ice cannot interfere with their operation.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal phantom view through an end portion of a railroad freight car, showing my invention as it appears in sideelevatlon when installed; 1

Figure 2 is a rear view on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional side view of the parts lll5 on the line; 3-.3 of Figure 2 showing the parts in the normal service position. Only a part of the adjustment bar It is seen in this view, and it is shown in elevation;

Figure 415 a view similar to Figure .3, showingthe position the parts assume when the brake rigging is being adjusted; v s

Figure 5 is a front view, to the same'scale as Figures 3 and 4, taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified embodiment of my invention, and

Figure '7 is a view of this modified form similar to Figure 5. M

A bracket or hanger A of suitable material is attached as by rivets lfl- -lll to a partof the car body or frame. In the present embodiment this hanger is mounted on the bottom flange B of the car center sill, but other positions or arrangements of the hanger will occur to those versed in the art. A swinging link or retaining device C is mounted for limited rocking movement on the bracket in any suitable way, as by a pin H, The link comprises a vertically or otherwise disposed shank l2, through which the pin ll passes, and an enlarged lower end or head It, The head is perforated to receive the adjustmentor'ti'e rod D, which is provided with a suitable handle l5, and which may be of any suitable shape in cross section, such as half-round, square or V-shape. 0n the lower side of the rod teeth I6 are formed to interlock with a complementary tooth or teeth VI! in the bottom of the head It. A series of teeth ll of smaller size may be arranged on the upper surface of the tie bar D to mate with similar teeth IS on the upper inner wall of the head II, but these are not essential. I

A suitable clevis or connecting member E is secured in the eye 20 of the rod D inany way.

desired, preferably in a flexible manner, and is in Figure 4), when the rod D is removed.

(or. rag-zoo) movably attached to thearm .or lever. F (sometimes called the dead 1ever)-of.the brake rigging, asbyabolt or pin 2L.

.It will be appreciated that whenthe brakes are, in the normal, releasedcposltion a certain 5' amount of clearance is necessary betweenthe rim of the wheels 22 oftheecar andthe brake shoes 23. To provide for thisclearance, ornormal slack, the link or shoe Cis; arranged so that it may swing or rotate forward: on the pin ll from 10 the .position shown in Figure, .sit to theposition shown in Figures 1 and ,3, theextent of this rotation being such as to provide the desired free slack. This forward swing; of the link is limited by engagement with a stop or bearing on the bracket A, Figure 3, whilst the reverse swing, Figure 4, islimited by engagement of the lug 25, arranged on the shank ,l2 above the pin l I, against a bearing or stop on Ithe' bracket. When the link or shoeC reaches the limit of its rearward 20 throw or swing. Figure 91 the inclined face 21,

Figure 3, assumes approximately a horizontal position at which time theli nte rlock of the rod D with the shoe C is releasedfand the teeth IQ of the rodmay then slidej overthe tooth H of the 2 'link'or shoe. The base of tapers downinto full and ilrni'interlocked engagement.

In the modification shown in Figures '6 and 7. the pin II is eliminated andthe shoe or link C 85 is pivotally mounted on a'su'itable mg or hook in formed'integral with the'bracket G. In'this embodiment of my inventionthe shank l2 of the link or shoe is hollow and spans 'or'straddles the bracket, which isthereverse' of the'arrangement 40 shown in Figures 1-5. 'I'he'sh'ank is providedat its upper end with a curved bearing 3| which is mounted for limitedrocking movement in a coniplementary bearing 32 on thelug 30. To remove the link from this lug, the 'rod Dmust be taken out of it. This done :the link can be swung rearwardly oil the lug 30s Inzthismodiilcation the pivotal point of the link C on the'bracketis moved back (to the left FlgureuG); azconsiderable extent,.and the metal ofthe link is distributed approximately equallyoneither side of the center of the pivot 3|. 'I'his.arrangement permits the link-to hang about vertical, and atithe. rearof its adjustment swing (such swing being indicated the lever F to compensate for undesired slack is 1 accomplished by withdrawing a pin and moving the lever to the left (Figure 1) to the proper hole of a spanner which straddles the upper end of the lever and has a series of holes for adjustment purposes, the spanner being, of course, rigidly tied to some part of the car as, for instance, the

center sill. This operation is not only slow but in cold weather it is also difiicult, and the advantages of close adjustment cannot be had due to the necessary size of the retaining pin. With my invention slack take-up, while manually performed, is easily and quickly done. The operator reaches in from a safe position adjacent the car end and grasps the handle l and simply pulls the rod D rearwardly (to the left in Figure 1) as far as-he can and then lets go. This simple, quickly performed operation instantly removes all undesired slack in the brake rigging. The first part of the rearward movement of the rod D causes the link or shoe C to swing to the position shown in Figure 4, the amount of this travel being as aforesaid the extent of brak shoe clearance etc. normally desired. As the shoe is stopped in e the position shown in Figure 4 the rod D rises oif the tooth I1 and continues to move rearwardly a distance equal to the accumulated undesired slack. The brake shoes 23 are then'against the wheels 22,-and the rod D can be drawn up no further. The operator thereforelets go of the handle l5 whereupon the rod drops into locking engagement with the tooth l1, and the link C is swung forward by the retractive action of the brake shoe rigging to the position shown in Figure 3 which automatically establishes the brake shoe clearance normally desired. The fiexible connection between the clevis E, the rod D and the lever F, and also theclearance allowed for the rod in the opening in the link C through which it passes, prevents binding and undue strain on any of the parts of my invention due to truck angularity, with respect to the car body, in rounding curves etc. To return the rod D to full release position the link C is held in the position shown in Figure 4 with one hand and the rod is lifted ofif the teeth I! and shoved forward with the other hand to the limit of its movement. By allowing suflicient clearance between the rod and the opening it occupies in the link C, the rod may be rotated out of engagement with the tooth I! and shoved forward to obtain clearance for the application of new brake shoes.

I am aware that the link or shoe C may be mounted so as to rock or swing in the horizontal plane instead of the vertical plane, and that other modifications may be made in my invention without departing from its spirit or scope. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details of construction herein described.

What I claim is:

l. A slack adjuster comprising in combination,

a link, a fixed member on which the link is normally freely pivotal in opposite directions between predetermined limits, and means connected with the brake rigging of the car and adjustably engageable with said link for cooperating with the link to remove undesired slack in said brake rigging when the lirik is swung to the limit of its pivotal movement in one direction and to preserve desired slack therein when the link is swung to the limit of its movement in the opposite direction.

2. i-slackadjuster comprising in combination,

a link, a fixed member on which the link pivots, said member having provision for limiting the pivotal swing of the link; and means connected with the brake rigging of the car and adjustably engageable with said link for cooperating with the linkto remove undesired slack in said brake rigging and to preserve desired slack therein, said means including a member adapted to interlock with said link on one side of said pivot when the link swings toward the limit of its forward movement.

'3. A'slack adjuster comprising in combination, a bracket fixed relative to the car body, a link pivotally mounted on the bracket and provided with an opening, means at one side of said pivot for limiting the pivotal movement of the link on the bracket, a rod mounted in said opening and having sliding movement therein when the link is at the limit of its movement in one direction and being locked to the link when the link is at the limit of its movement in the other direction, and means for efiectively augmenting said locking engagement.

4. A slack adjuster comprising in combination, a bracket fixed relative to the car body, a link pivotally mounted on the bracket, means for limitingthe pivotal movement of the link on the bracket, said link being provided with an opening in which an anchor lug or tooth is located. a rod mounted in said opening and having a plurality of spaced teeth adapted to engage said anchor lug, said link being adapted to swing on said pivot to an extent equal to the amount of slack which it is desired to preserve, said rod having sliding movement in the link when the link is at the limit of its swing in one direction and being locked to the link by said spaced teeth and said lug when the link is at the limit of its swing in the other direction, means on said link for engaging 'said rod at a point opposite said anchor lug to augment the locking engagement between the rod and said link, said rod having angular movement in said link when in the locked position to prevent undue strains on said parts when the car trucks assume difierent angles with respect to the car body in negotiating curves etc.

5. A slack adjuster comprising in combination, a stationary bracket, a link pivotally mounted on the bracket for limited rocking movement thereon, said link being perforated at one end and being provided adjacent such end with an anchor lug or tooth, said link having a stop engageable with said bracket to limit the rocking movement of the link in one direction and a rod mounted in theopening in said link and having a plurality of teeth adapted to engage said anchor lug to provide graduated adjustment of said rod when said rod is drawn rearwardly relative to said link.

6. Aslack adjuster such as describedin claim 1, in which the link is constructed to permit a limited amount of lateral movement, relative to the fixed member, of the means that is connected with the brake rigging, whereby the railway car truck is relieved of angular and lateral drag on curves.

7. A slack adjuster for the brake rigging of a railway car, comprising in combination, a pivoted link having an opening therethrough, a longitudinally movable rigid member connected with said brake rigging and mounted in the opening in said link for movement therein when taking slack, said member being adapted to interlock with said link to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the link and the member when not taking slack, and a bracket fixed to the car, said link being pivoted to said bracket and said bracket being provided with a stop against which the link strikes to limit the longitudinal movement of said member and the pivotal movement of said link in one direction.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

